NEERI-NGRI FinalReport: Assessment and Remediation of Hazardous Waste Contaminated Areas in and around M/s Union Carbide India Ltd., Bhopal, June, 2010

June 05, 2010

1.0 Preamble M/s. Union Carbide India Ltd. (UCIL), manufactured carbamate pesticides and the associated intermediate chemicals at their Bhopal unit from 1969 to 1984. The solid, semi-solid, liquid and tarry wastes generated during the manufacture of pesticides and associated chemicals were dumped by UCIL within their premises from 1969 to 1984.

The unit was closed down in December 1984 as a result of the in famous accident of leakage of methyl iso-cyanate gas (MIC).

The unscientific disposal of these wastes could have resulted in contamination of land and water environment in and around plant premises of UCIL and may require remediation, in case the contamination levels exceed the permissible limits delineated by national/international regulations. During the study it appeared that there is a general misunderstanding among the public as well as various agencies and organizations that, MIC gas tragedy in 1984 also resulted in contamination of soil and groundwater in and around UCIL premises. However, it may be made clear that, contamination of soil and groundwater in and around UCIL premises is solely due to dumping of above mentioned wastes during 1969 to 1984, and MIC gas tragedy has no relevance to it.